India needs educated citizens in knowledge century: President

Nabha (Punjab), April 12 (IANS) President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Monday exhorted students to contribute to nation-building through their talent and knowledge, saying India will certainly emerge a stronger country when the youth determinedly work for it. “When the 540 million youth of the country are educated and they determinedly work for the country, India will certainly emerge as a stronger country,” she said, addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of the Punjab Public School here.

The president said that India needed educated citizens who have in them the ability to innovate and invent, particularly in the 21st century, where the progress of the nation would be driven by the knowledge base of its population.

Urging students to utilise their time at school in the best possible manner, the president said they must study hard and “for true learning and understanding”.

“Therefore, approach your studies with a sense of enquiry. Think independently and creatively. Be disciplined and methodical in your daily lives. Inculcate values like compassion, tolerance and harmony that will instil a feeling of welfare for humanity.”

“Promote a feeling of national harmony so necessary for keeping together our country which has diverse religions, faiths, languages, castes, communities and also vast geographical distances. What we need is unity in diversity to keep our great country together.”

She also asked students to participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities because it was sports that could teach them to put in their best and to accept both victory and defeat in the true spirit of a sportsperson.

Dwelling on the role of teachers in today’s fast changing society, the president said that teachers have a greater responsibility in interpreting developments in the world to students in the proper perspective.

She conferred the school’s roll of honour for 2009 on its ex-student, Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh, general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) of the army’s eastern command.

Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were also present on the occasion.